Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

SEAT Leon Cupra (2014-2021) review - MPG and running costs

30-plus mpg in the real world. Expect to chew through consumables if you're partial to trackdays

Evo rating
  • Underlying technical make-up impressive; excellent engine, brakes and chassis tune
  • Feeling its age inside; still not the most playful of hot hatchbacks

Gone are the days when running a car that sprints to 62mph in under six seconds meant MPG figures in the teens – officially, SEAT’s hottest hatchback will cover 38.7 miles for every gallon of unleaded. CO2 emissions are correspondingly low, at 156g/km. These figures alter slightly depending on the model, and bottom out at 33.7mpg for the Abt-tuned Cupra R Estate

Advertisement - Article continues below

Realistically our Leon Cupra R Abt evo long-termer didn’t prove much less efficient than the official numbers, being relatively easy to keep above 30mpg in mixed driving. Drive it with more aggression and those numbers will fall below the 30mpg mark though.

Other running costs are par for the course too; SEAT’s warranty covers three years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), and service intervals are every year or 10,000 miles, again whichever is first.

Depending on your propensity for trackdays and hard use, tyres and brakes will be the main consumables.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Thought you couldn't improve on the Alpine A110? Ravage had other ideas and we've driven the result – car pictures of the week
Ravage A110 Group 4
Features

Thought you couldn't improve on the Alpine A110? Ravage had other ideas and we've driven the result – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo, we drive Ravage’s stunning A110 Group 4 in the French Alps – these are our favourite shots
21 Feb 2026
2026 VED car tax: what you'll be paying
2026 car tax
Advice

2026 VED car tax: what you'll be paying

The latest car tax changes explained, including new pricing for EVs and hybrids and increased prices for higher-emission vehicles
19 Feb 2026
Richard Porter on what it's really like to work with Clarkson, Hammond and May
Jeremy Clarkson Richard Hammond James May
Opinion

Richard Porter on what it's really like to work with Clarkson, Hammond and May

Here’s what Porter’s going to miss about working with Clarkson, Hammond and May
22 Feb 2026